Eye in the Sky: New Tech Enhancing Public Safety at #MACoCon

At the MACo Summer Conference, an expert panel shared best practices and implementation strategies for leveraging new technologies to enhance public safety.

Drones have emerged as a transformative force in public safety. They offer unparalleled aerial views, providing first responders and law enforcement agencies with real-time situational awareness during emergencies, natural disasters, and large-scale events. However, the widespread use of drones and other new technologies raises privacy concerns and comes with new regulatory challenges.

Delegate Luke Clippinger, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, led the conversation and moderated an informative Q&A at the “Eye in the Sky: New Tech Enhancing Public Safety” deep dive Tech Expo session at the MACo Summer Conference.

Panel speakers included:

  • The Honorable Dawn Luedtke, Council Member, Montgomery County
  • Tony Galladora, Deputy Commander, Montgomery County Police Department
  • Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project

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Montgomery County Council Member Dawn Luedtke explained how Montgomery County’s Drone as First Responder Program (DFR) improves police response times and assists with de-escalation to enhance safety for both officers and residents. She also highlighted the program’s ability to provide real-time aerial surveillance, offering critical situational awareness that supports more informed decision-making.

Montgomery County Police Lieutenant Victor Gallladora explained how the DFR program improves resource efficiency and helps locate missing persons and criminal suspects. He also noted that the program significantly improves resource allocation by allowing drones to assess situations quickly, freeing up personnel for other critical tasks.

Jay Stanley discussed the challenges of safeguarding civil rights and privacy in an increasingly digital world. He also stressed the importance of developing robust policies and frameworks to protect individual rights and ensure digital technologies like drones do not infringe upon civil liberties or compromise privacy.

The session was on August 14 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

More about MACo’s Summer Conference: